


Where the Heart Is

by joliemariella



Category: Detroit: Become Human (Video Game)
Genre: Canon Compliant, Captain Allen being gay af for his android househusband, Drama, Family Feels, Fluff, M/M, Simon being excellent and adorable with kids, Simon's backstory, Slow Burn, but not TOO slow haha
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-01-09
Updated: 2019-02-21
Packaged: 2019-10-07 05:34:02
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 10,671
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17359979
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/joliemariella/pseuds/joliemariella
Summary: It was 2033 when Captain David Allen was caught between a rock and a hard place as he struggled to find adequate childcare for his six year old daughter, Casey, after divorcing her mother a year previous. Eventually, he caved and bought an android, a PL600 his daughter dubbed Simon, who quickly made himself an irreplaceable part of their home. David had expected to appreciate the cleaning and the cooking the android could do, as well as caring for, and even tutoring, Casey... he did not, however, expect to fall in love. (Canon compliant to pacifist Markus and green Connor route).





	1. Help Wanted

**Author's Note:**

> Hey guys, welcome to my new fic! I know this ship sounds like crack but I _promise_ it's not only gonna make sense, but it's gonna be _great_ (assuming you like stoic action dads falling in love with gentle, loving androids)  
>  **NOTE:** This story IS canon compliant to the pacifist Markus and green Connor route, though that doesn't come for some time into the story. That said, I did fudge a few dates. Canonically, the PL600 wasn't released until 2034 but I pushed that back to 2033. Also, Simon was originally reported missing in February of 2036, but I'll be pushing that back two months to December of 2035 just for story flow.
> 
> Follow me [on tumblr](https://joliemariella.tumblr.com/) for DBH fanart and sneak peeks at my stories!  
> Also, remember to drop a review letting me know what your favorite part was, I really love hearing that from you guys!

Captain David Allen brought his car to a sharp halt in front of the low, sprawling building that made up his daughter’s elementary school, put it in park, and hurried inside as the vehicle locked automatically behind him. His steps echoed as he strode quickly down the main corridor that cut through the center of the complex, then hung a right into a narrower side-hallway.

He was late. _Again_. Casey was going to kill him. Or, well, be sour at him for the rest of the evening at the very least.

David's guilt grew a little with every dark, empty room he passed and the man was practically speed walking by the time he reached the classroom the after-school program teacher relocated to with any children whose parents were late picking them up. It was well past seven by this point, making him very late indeed, and not for the first time.

“Sorry,” he said immediately on stepping into the room, not quite breathless from his brisk walk, but close. “I’m so sorry, I-”

“Got held up at work?” Mrs. Anna Jones, the third grade teacher who was in charge of the after-school program three days a week said as she glanced up from her grading with a wry smile on her face.

“Yeah,” David admitted with a tired sigh, then glanced around the room to see Casey sitting nearby at one of the desks, her things already packed in her backpack and a book open in front of her. “Ready to go, noodle?” he asked as he offered her his hand as she looked up at him and reached for her bookmark.

“Actually,” Mrs. Jones interrupted, making the police captain look around at her. “Could we talk for a moment?” she asked and gestured towards the door through which he had just entered.

A sense of foreboding settling into his bones at the woman’s words, David nodded all the same and looked back at Casey to say, “Just give me a minute, go ahead and get your stuff together,” then followed Anna out into the hall.

She closed the door and looked at him with an apologetic sort of smile then asked, “Still no luck finding a nanny?”

“No,” David admitted, brow furrowing at the admission as he crossed his arms absently across his broad, muscular chest. “I’ve been looking, I swear,” he said, exhaustion seeping into his voice as he glanced back through the window in the classroom door to watch as his daughter put her book into her bag as he’d asked her to, slipped the straps over her narrow shoulders, then leaned forward to prop one elbow up on her desk. The picture of a more bored child couldn’t be found from there to China, the man thought before turning his attention back to the teacher in front of him.

“I know this isn’t fair to you and the school,” he continued. “We’ve just been… struggling to find a good fit that can also work the hours I need.”

‘Struggling’ was an understatement, if David was being honest. Casey was a good kid; bright and kind hearted, though definitely opinionated. Still, they’d gone through a few nannies that didn’t have issues with his daughter’s occasional bouts of willfulness, they simply couldn’t handle the erratic hours David asked of them thanks to his job.

Being Captain of Detroit's first precinct came with a heaping load of responsibility that didn’t exactly fall within the usual nine to five, and that was _before_ taking into account that he headed up the SWAT team on top of that. Until a year ago, making sure Casey was looked after while he was at work hadn’t been an issue since his wife, Jenny, had a far more flexible (and normal) schedule that let her be there when he couldn’t.

That had been before the divorce, of course. After three DUIs and an attempt at rehab for an alcohol problem he hadn’t recognized the severity of until almost too late, David had had enough. He’d won full custody without contest, leaving Jenny with carefully scheduled, chaperoned visitation rights, but he’d also been left with the problem of how to properly care for his young daughter on his own.

Nannies and sitters had come and gone on a trial basis and, frankly, David was lucky he had understanding neighbors that didn’t mind keeping an eye on Casey for a few hours when something came up unexpectedly. He hated relying on their good will in the long term, though; it felt like he was taking advantage of their kindness.

“Considering the trouble you’ve been having finding someone… have you considered an android?” Anna suggested, watching him with a canny eye as she did.

“What?” he asked, taken aback at the suggestion. “Hell no,” David answered impulsively with a sharp frown. “Leave Casey alone with one of those things for hours at a time? God only knows-”

The teacher held up a hand to quiet him, and still frowning, David reigned himself in and allowed her to continue. “I know what you mean,” she said with a sympathetic smile. “But they’ve come a long ways in the last couple of years! I’ve got an AX400 at home watching my kids right now,” Anna pointed out and David’s eyes widened fractionally. The woman glanced at the time on her phone and added, “They’re probably eating dinner right now, actually.”

Her words probably hadn’t been meant to sting the captain, but they did a little as he realized that his lateness was keeping Anna from her own family.

“Give it some thought, at least,” the woman suggested gently. “At this point I’m-” Anna paused and bit down on her bottom lip, brow furrowing as she glanced away from David.

“Alright,” he relented. “I’ll give it some thought.” Anna wasn’t the sort to spell it out, but David hadn’t gotten his captaincy for nothing; he could read between the lines. She didn’t like staying late any more than he liked _being_ late, and he had a feeling the school probably didn’t approve. Anna had been doing him a favor staying after hours so frequently, and his grace period was going to run out if he didn’t watch his step.

He didn’t blame her, of course. There was no point in her suffering and losing time with her family just because _he_ couldn’t get his shit together.

“Good,” she said, seeming relieved, then motioned him back into the classroom where Casey still waited.

“Alright, noodle, let’s get out of here,”  he told Casey who immediately got up, clearly ready to be gone, and took his hand when he offered it.

“Bye, Mrs. Jones,” the little girl told the teacher as they headed for the door.

The woman smiled and paused in collecting her things to wave and say, “Goodnight, Casey. See you tomorrow.”

Feeling vaguely awkward, David cleared his throat and said, “Thanks again,” before closing the door behind them.

The halls still echoed in the overbearing silence, and felt oddly eerie. What was it, David wondered, about schools that made them feel so creepy when empty? Probably because they were so _loud_ every other time. The fact that everything was built to a smaller scale just shy enough of normal to exacerbate the sense that something was _wrong_ probably didn't help either.

“Are you in trouble with Mrs. Jones?” Casey asked out of the blue.

David looked down at her, though his daughter was looking at the floor, making it hard to gauge her mood. From that angle, all he could see was her head full of wavy brown hair a few shades darker than his own. It nearly fell to her shoulders these days, and David found himself wondering if she’d want to get it cut again soon.

“Kind of,” he admitted with a sigh.

“Cuz you’re always late?” she guessed and he arched a brow at her when his daughter finally looked up at him.

Casey's large, expressive, green eyes and the shape of her lips were the same as his, but other than that, her features were all Jenny’s. It hurt to see sometimes, but David didn’t let it get to him, and certainly didn’t let it affect his relationship with his daughter, however badly things had ended with his wife.

Casey was his _everything._ He’d never fully comprehended the sentiment so many parents shared when they emphatically claimed they would die for their child. Believed it, certainly, but never understood. Not until the day he’d first held Casey, a tiny little red faced bundle who’d been making her opinion of the world known from her first breath. As soon as she’d been carefully placed in his shaking arms by a very patient nurse, though, she had calmed and opened her eyes to look at him for the first time and David knew everything had changed. He knew as sure as the Earth's rotation around the sun that he would gladly lay down his life if it meant protecting this tiny, helpless human being he was now responsible for.

The feeling hadn’t wavered an iota in the six years since.

“Pretty much,” he said, mouth twisting into a wry smile as he gave her hand a gentle squeeze.

Casey nodded and was quiet as they exited the school and got into the car. When she was buckled into the back seat and they had pulled away from the curb, she said, “I don’t like when you’re late either.”

David glanced at her in the rear view mirror and said, “I know, noodle. I don’t like being late either.”

In the past, Casey would have pressed him on the subject, maybe even cried, but it seemed that she was becoming numb to the disappointment, and that development worried David more than anything else.

The captain engaged the autopilot function on the car and rotated the seat so he could face Casey instead of trying to talk and drive at the same time. He generally preferred being behind the wheel himself, especially if he was trying to get somewhere in a hurry, but in times like this he had to admit that being able to go hands free was useful.

His daughter was staring out the window, chin propped up on a hand as she watched the scenery pass them by. She _was_ sour at him, David realized when she refused to look at him. He wanted to sigh, but he reined in the impulse and instead, asked, “What do you think about us getting an android?”

The question was unexpected enough to make Casey give him her full attention in spite of her obvious intention not to when he’d first turned around. Her brow furrowed in thought and she asked, “Like the janitors at school?”

“Kind of,” David replied. He’d seen the units she meant before, basic models meant to keep the place tidy and handle day to day maintenance on the building. “But better,” he clarified. “It wouldn’t just clean, it’d cook too and...” he hesitated a moment, then forged on, “and be able to keep an eye on you while I’m at work so you don’t have to stay late after school. You could just take the school bus straight home when you were let out for the day.”

He watched Casey’s face closely as she processed his suggestion, seeming torn. On the one hand, he was certain she liked the idea of not being stuck at school late every day, but on the other, she hadn’t had much personal experience with androids. Granted, neither had he.

“How come I can’t just stay with Grandma and Grandpa while you’re at work,” she asked with a frown, shifting uncomfortably in her seat.

It was a conversation they’d had many times before, but David made himself take a breath before launching into the explanation again. “Grandma and Grandpa live almost an hour away, noodle, it’s not fair to ask them to make that drive all the time.”

His parents didn’t _mind_ of course, they adored their granddaughter and would do anything for her, but that didn’t mean he didn’t feel bad asking. Weekends were one thing, but what he needed was significantly more.

“The Sullivans like me,” Casey piped up, frowning as she named their neighbors across the street. They had a little girl named Tonya his daughter often played with, though she attended a private school halfway across town rather than the local public one like Casey.

“Yes they do,” David agreed carefully, “But they have work too and I can’t ask them to watch you every night either.” Casey’s frown deepened and she turned her attention out the window again, tears of frustration threatening at the corners of her eyes.

Knowing his daughter likely had less of a problem with the idea of getting an android and _more_ of an issue with feeling unwanted by the people around her made David’s heart ache. It was the last thing he wanted, and so very far from true. Getting a six year old to understand the enormity of the issues at hand was no easy task, though, and sometimes an impossible one.

David unbuckled his seat and ignored the warning bell that went off as he shifted position from his seat to the one next to his daughter. It went quiet once he buckled in again then slipped his arm around Casey’s shoulders and pulled her in against him.

“I really think this might be our best option at this point, Case,” he said as he gave her a gentle squeeze. “I can’t keep leaving you at school so late. It’s no fun for you _and_ it’s no fair to Mrs. Jones.”

Casey was quiet for a long minute before saying, “You should just work less.”

“Noodle, trust me, if that was an option, I’d take it,” he mused with a soft huff as he shifted a hand to stroke her hair. Eventually, he said “I have tomorrow off. How about we go out for breakfast and then at least go _look_ at some androids?”

The little girl turned to look up at him finally, eyes narrowed in suspicion. “Can we go to Gigi’s?”

David rolled his eyes. Gigi’s was Casey’s favorite diner; mostly because they had chocolate chip strawberry-banana pancakes that would put her on a sugar high for the rest of the day, but at this point, he was willing to compromise. “Yeah, alright, but you have to behave at the CyberLife store while we look at androids, got it? No bouncing off the walls.”

For the first time since he picked her up, Casey cracked a smile. “Okay, daddy!”

* * *

The next morning, Casey ate so many sugar filled pancakes David was convinced she was going to vibrate herself into another plane of existence, but she kept her promise and behaved herself as they made a trip to the nearest CyberLife store.

The air and décor within the shop put David vaguely in mind of a car dealership. All the pristine white surfaces and digital interfaces probably weren’t helping matters in that department either, and the fact that a salesman practically jumped them as soon as they stepped inside certainly didn’t.

With Casey clinging tightly to his hand, wide green eyes taking in their surroundings, David humored the salesperson (whose name was Tom, apparently) and told him he was looking for a home android, something that could look after children while also maintaining the home while he was at work. He felt a little strange making the request, but the man just nodded as though this were something he heard every day, and lead him over to one display in particular that seemed to be exactly what he was (hypothetically) looking for.

What followed was a mostly one way hour long discussion about android stats and capabilities, as well as various kinds of additional software available for purchase. Of course he’d get the discounted price if he bought it _today_ versus later…

The salesman finally had to stop to take a breath and David quickly waved him quiet before he could start in again on his pitch. “Alright, just… can I have a minute?”

“Of course!” Tom said cheerfully. “I’ll just be right over here, come find me when you’re ready!”

When; not if. _When._

David scowled at the salesman’s retreating back then looked for Casey who he had sent to find herself a chair to camp out on with his phone to keep her occupied ten minutes into the guy’s spiel. It only took a moment to spot her, a little hunched figure in a hard, white plastic chair, kicking her heels and watching a video of some sort on his phone.

Heading over to her, he sighed heavily and dropped into the next seat over.

“Are we leaving now?” she asked hopefully.

“Not quite,” he said and was met by an emphatic huff of disappointment. “We’ve got a decision to make,” David added as he took his phone back from her before the child could become distracted again.

Casey looked at him, and then back at the android display he had spent the better part of an hour in front of. “Are you going to buy one?” she asked, a small frown tugging at her lips.

 _Was_ he?

David ran one hand absently through his dark hair as his gaze also went back to the display and regarded it thoughtfully for a moment.

Who was he kidding, of course he was going to buy one. It was that or… what? Keep his fingers crossed that they’d finally find a nanny willing to work with his difficult schedule at a reasonable rate of pay? He’d had approximately zero luck in that department for the last _year,_ and he didn’t see any reason why that would change now. He was on thin ice with the after-school program, and had no desire to overburden his own parents or impose on his neighbors anymore than he already had.

Anna was right, an android was the perfect solution to his problem, assuming it could actually do everything the salesman claimed it could.

“Yeah,” he answered as he met Casey’s eyes, then jerked his head back in the direction he’d just come from. “Help me pick one out?”

“Okay,” the little girl replied, voice a little doubtful as David got to his feet and took her much smaller hand in his.

He lead Casey over to the display, then crouched down so he was at her level and said, “I narrowed it down to one of these two, what do you think?”

Casey looked up at the AX400 in front of her, and then at the PL600 that stood to its right. By the end of the salesman’s pitch, it’d been obvious enough to David that one of these two would best suit their needs, though he wasn’t quite decided himself. The AX400 was a solid model by all reports, particularly good with young children like Casey. His daughter wouldn’t be little forever, though, and the PL600, the latest and greatest in the home android lines apparently, did everything the AX400 could but supposedly kept up with older children and their needs better. As such, the PL600 came at a steeper cost, but most of all, David wanted an android his daughter could feel comfortable with, so he’d decided to leave the final decision on the matter up to her.

The girl looked back and forth between the pair, a very serious expression on her face as she considered the options, then glanced back at David.

“Take your time,” he told her with a smile and placed a reassuring hand on her shoulder. “Whichever one you like most.”

“I… I like him,” Casey said finally and pointed up at the PL600.

“You’re sure?” David asked and his daughter nodded, seeming more and more confident in her choice.

“Yeah,” she replied and looped an arm around her father’s neck. “He looks nice.”

David slipped an arm under his daughter and hefted her up to his hip as he rose to his feet once more. He considered the PL600 where it stood on its low plinth and had to agree with her. With kind looking blue eyes and a gentle smile, the android _did_ look nice. So did the AX400 but… he had to agree with Casey; he liked the PL600 more as well.

“The PL600, huh? Great choice,” Tom said as he sidled up to them once more, having apparently smelled the proverbial blood of a new sale in the water.

David muffled an exasperated sigh and said, “Yeah, we’ll take it.”

“Excellent!” the other man said brightly and regarded the tablet he seemed to carry with him everywhere. He skipped through a few screens, then frowned a little and said, “Oh… seems that we’re out of stock on this model, actually.”

“Seriously?” David asked, exasperation becoming obvious at this news.

“Sorry, they’re a new release and they’ve been pretty popular. Lots of people looking to upgrade,” the salesman said with an apologetic grimace. A canny look passed over his face a moment later, however, and he suggested, “If you don’t mind a floor model, though, I could send you home with this one specifically if you like? I’ll even thrown in the free suite of bonus software.”

David blinked at the offer, then turned to regard the android in question. “There’s nothing wrong with it, is there?” he asked a little skeptically as he turned back to the salesman and shifted his hold on Casey to take the strain off his arm.

“No not at all,” the other man answered quickly, then glanced back down at his tablet. “Looks like it’s only been on display for about a week, even. We sold our original display model during the initial rush, I guess.”

David looked at Casey and the little girl shrugged. “Alright, why not,” he said, deciding that not needing to wait for another shipment to arrive, as well as the offer of free bonus software, was worth settling for the floor model.

“Great!” the salesman said and flipped through a few menu options then suggested, “How about we get it registered to you and it can keep an eye on your little girl while we finish up paperwork?”

Surprised, David asked, “What, just like that?”

“Well, sure!” Tom said, then looked between him and his daughter and asked, “Any idea what you want to name it? I mean, you don’t _have_ to, but it does make things a little easier in my experience. PL600 doesn’t exactly roll off the tongue,” he added with a chuckle.

“Uh-” thrown by this unexpected turn, David looked at Casey. “Well, noodle, what do you think? Any ideas for a name?” _He_ sure as hell didn’t have any off the top of his head. He hadn’t exactly come to the store expecting to purchase an android that same day, but here he was, doing just that…

Casey twisted in his grip to regard their soon-to-be android and thought for a moment, then suggested, “What about Simon?”

“Where’d you pull _that_ name from?” David asked with a curious arch of one expressive brow. He didn’t have any problems with it, but it wasn’t exactly the kind of name he’d expect his six year old to come up with.

She just smiled at him and said, “A book at school.”

David thought about it for a moment, then shrugged. “Simon it is, then.”

“Great,” the salesman said, then stepped forward and looked up at their new android and said, “PL600, register your name,” then gestured at David.

The android looked at him for the first time with its bright blue eyes and that pleasant smile and David’s mouth went inexplicably dry. “Simon,” he said, and the android’s smile widened fractionally, eyes crinkling in the process.

“My name is Simon,” the android repeated, then stepped down off the plinth. “Would you like to register your name now?”

David glanced at the salesman, who gestured encouragingly. “Captain David Allen,” he answered, and almost immediately kicked himself for including his rank. It was such a reflex to do in his line of work he hadn’t even thought about it until it was too late.

It didn’t seem to phase Simon, though, who only nodded, then looked at Casey and asked, “And how about you?” in a coaxing tone that surprised David with its gentleness.

“Casey,” his daughter responded, her grip on him tightening fractionally.

“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Casey,” Simon said, then turned to David and asked, “Is there anything you’d like me to do?”

“Yeah,” David said, head spinning a little from how quickly everything was moving all of a sudden. “Keep an eye on Casey for me while I finish up the paperwork.” His daughter’s head snapped around to look at him, green eyes wide with alarm. “It’s alright, noodle, I’ll just be right over there,” he reassured Casey in a low voice for his sake as much as his own and nodded towards the desk where the salesman was already pulling up the necessary documents.

She clung a little as he bent and put her back on her feet, but he carefully detached her from his person then regarded Simon carefully as he straightened. “Take care of her,” he said, voice stern.

“Of course,” the android replied, then turned and offered Casey his hand. “Shall we go sit?” he suggested as he waved towards the seating area she had already spent the better part of an hour in.

Casey shied away from Simon’s hand, but the android didn’t comment or seem offended, only withdrew it and followed her when she started in that direction of her own accord. David watched them go, frowning a little and wondering if he’d made the right choice after all. His earlier realization that he had little else in the way of options returned though and, with a sigh, the man turned away then went to see a man about an android.

* * *

When they left the CyberLife store less than an hour later, Simon went with them, and over the next week David found himself in the unexpected position of acclimating to the android’s presence in their home with far greater ease than his daughter.

It wasn’t that Casey was afraid of Simon; she didn’t even seem to particularly dislike him. The first grader simply appeared… _wary_ of him, like she wasn’t quite sure what to make of him and his presence in their life.

On more than one occasion, Simon startled David by simply _being_ in the house those first couple of days. It’d been over a year since there’d been anyone but just him and Casey in their comfortable, one story, three bedroom home, after all. Adding a third ‘person’ on a full time basis took a little getting used to.

Still, David had to admit that the immediate shift in state from chaotic mess into impeccably clean that the entire house made with Simon’s arrival was a tremendous relief. He’d always been a bit of a neat-freak, but working the hours he did, he hardly had the time, let alone the energy, to keep things up to his standard of cleanliness most days. The fact that the android always had a home cooked meal waiting for him when he got home was a blessing he hadn’t even realized he’d been missing until suddenly that was available to him on the daily too.

Wary as Casey was of Simon, David could tell that she was already benefiting from not having to stay long hours after school waiting for him to pick her up. There were no more sour looks when he got home after work, and not having to make the extra drive was nice as well. Simon was also proving surprisingly good at keeping her on task with her homework, which meant any time left before Casey’s bedtime could be spent together watching one of their favorite shows or playing games, which made for a nice change.

David wasn’t the only one to notice that Casey wasn’t completely comfortable around Simon; the android himself had picked up on the feeling from moment one. His programming informed him that this wasn’t unusual in human children, but as the days passed Simon found himself… unhappy with the development. Unfortunately, he could also tell that there was little he could do about the matter beyond persist in his gentle overtures at friendship with the girl he now shared a home with. If anything would win the day, Simon thought, it would be patience.

It had taken less than that to win over her father, after all. Then again, the captain spent significantly less time at home than his daughter thanks to his work. He’d seemed so inordinately relieved when he’d come home after Simon’s first day alone and found the house near spotless that the android had felt a curious inclination to laugh. He’d just smiled, though, and been pleasantly surprised when the man had actually gone so far as to thank him. The android was programmed not to expect gratitude for his service but receiving it brought a curious warmth to his system that had nothing to do with his internal temperature regulation systems. The captain kept up the trend as the days passed; every time Simon served him dinner or completed some other task… the android suspected it was simply a deeply ingrained habit of the man’s born of years of social conditioning, but he found himself appreciating it all the same.

Just over a week after first arriving in the Allen’s home, Simon was rotating the laundry when he heard the front door open and then slam shut again. He’d seen both the Captain and Casey off to work and school respectively that morning, and while it was far too early for the former to be home, the latter was right on time.

Finishing the task immediately at hand, Simon went to the front door to find Casey still standing just inside it, backpack on her shoulders, the straps gripped tight in her small hands.

“Hello, Casey,” Simon said pleasantly. “Did you have a good day at-” a small sniffle from the girl immediately cut off his words and he blinked, then frowned as he noted her tense posture and bowed head. A fine tremor ran through her thin frame and the android immediately asked, “Casey, are you alright?”

The child rubbed at her eyes with the heel of her palm and managed to say, “I’m _f-fine_ ,” before bending down to start tugging at the laces on her shoes. They quickly became tangled though and she made a small sound of annoyance, tugging on them harder in her frustration, worsening the problem.

Without being asked, Simon dropped into a crouch in front of the girl and gently brushed her hands aside. “Here, let me help,” he said.

Casey scowled but didn’t push him away, though she did grumble, “I can untie my own _shoes._ ”

Simon only smiled goodnaturedly at her and said, “I know you can, but there’s nothing wrong with needing help sometimes.”

The laces came undone as he spoke and Casey refused to meet his eyes for a minute as Simon sat back on his heels. “Thanks,” she eventually said in an almost grudging tone, then sat down on the linoleum and tugged the offending shoes free of her feet at last and placed them by the door.

When she didn’t immediately get up, Simon asked, “Did something happen at school?”

Casey glanced up at him furtively, and the android knew he’d hit the nail on the head. The question was enough to make her sniffle again, tears pricking at the corners of her green eyes as she dropped her gaze and nodded stiffly.

“Would you like to tell me about it?” Simon prompted patiently as he reached out and gently eased the backpack from Casey’s shoulders then set that aside as well. When the girl didn’t answer immediately, he continued, “Sometimes talking about things that upset you can help you feel better. I promise I won’t tell anyone else if you don’t want me to.”

The girl finally looked up at him at this statement, then asked, “Not even daddy?”

“Not even the Captain.”

She considered this for a moment, then finally stuck out her hand towards him with only her pinky finger extended and said, “You have to pinky-promise.”

Simon blinked at this condition, then smiled and mirrored the gesture, linking his pinky finger with hers and ‘shaking’ once. “I promise.”

Casey squinted at him, but seemed satisfied, if unwilling to move from where she was still seated just inside the front door next to the short shelf they kept their shoes on. Hoping to make the girl more comfortable, Simon shifted from sitting on his knees to crossing his legs in front of him and waiting patiently for her to speak.

“Today in art Jason and Lee said I shouldn’t make a mother’s day card for my mommy because she’s a bad mom,” Casey admitted eventually, voice going high and tight as she tried and failed to stifle the urge to cry. Tears spilled down her cheeks and continued to do so no matter how much she wiped at them with her sleeve. “But she’s _not_ though! My mommy’s _not bad,_ ” Casey insisted, face contorting unhappily as she threatened to break into outright sobs.

“I’m sure she’s not, Casey,” Simon answered quickly and gently brushed a few locks of dark, curly hair from the girl’s face.

The data Simon had on Jenny Allen was woefully lacking, and he’d yet to meet the woman himself, but it occurred to him now that it might be for the best if he asked the Captain for more information so he could better navigate situations such as these in the future.

He’d been given the basics, of course. The survey any new android owner had to fill out on bringing their new purchase home was quite extensive; everything from health history to family relations had to be (or at least _should be_ ) entered into the android’s database for reference, and that included things such as ex-wives. All Simon knew was that David Allen had filed for divorce with Jennifer Allen (née Smith) in the wake of a series of DUIs issued to the woman and a failed term spent in rehab.

It was likely, Simon reasoned, that word of this had somehow gotten around to the other parents and their children had overhead them gossiping, then weaponized the rumors against the little girl. It was spiteful and childish, but… they _were_ children.

Tears were flowing thick and fast down Casey’s cheeks now, but after an indecisive moment, the girl pushed forward and into Simon’s lap, taking the android completely by surprise. Apparently Casey’s need for comfort had managed to overwhelm her standing wariness of him at long last.

“Daddy says she’s _sick_. That’s why she does stuff she shouldn’t,” Casey insisted as she turned her head up to look at him, clearly wanting him to believe her.

Simon hesitated a moment, then slowly, carefully, folded his arms around the girl in a gentle hug. Feeling her shaking against him stirred something unexpectedly protective in the android, surprising him with its strength and lack of connection to any of his standard operating subsystems.

“I’m sure he’s right,” Simon said carefully, knowing that this was uncertain ground even as he said it. Addiction was complicated, but if ‘sickness’ was how the captain had decided to explain his ex-wife’s actions, the android wasn’t about to contradict him.

Casey was quiet for a moment, fingers tracing distractedly over the edge of the reflective triangle embroidered on the front of Simon’s uniform. “Why can’t she just get _better_?” she asked with a heavy sigh.

It wasn’t a question Simon could answer easily, but after a moment, he lifted one hand and gently stroked the girl’s hair as he said, “Life is complicated and grownups… sometimes grownups feel compelled to do things that aren’t very good for them. Things that make them sick.” Casey didn’t immediately respond, though the android was unsurprised. “That doesn’t mean your mother doesn’t _love_ you, though,” he continued after a moment and was rewarded by the girl looking up at him once more. “So, if you want to make her a card, then you should do just that; ignore those boys in your class and do what you feel is right.”

The furrow in Casey’s brow finally eased and Simon smiled, relief coursing through his system at the sight. “I… I started on one during art before-”

The frown returned, and the android immediately sought to distract her by asking, “Would you show me? I’d like to see it.”

Casey considered this for a second, then nodded and said, “It’s in my backpack.” The girl half-rolled out of his lap and crawled the short distance to her bag, then opened it and rummaged around within. Eventually she came up with a slightly crumpled piece of folded white paper that she tried to straighten a little before handing to him.

Simon took the card and considered it thoughtfully, fingers carefully smoothing one of the bent corners as he did.

“It’s not done,” Casey informed him a little defensively as she got to her feet and came to stand at his side.

“I think it’s lovely,” Simon informed her with a warm smile. The front was covered in flowers and birds of an impossible array of colors with ‘Happy Mother’s Day’ written in big, pink bubble letters front and center. The inside had a few scattered flowers when he looked, though Casey snatched it back before he could get too close a look. A great deal of work and patience had been put into it overall, revealing unusually good use of shapes and composition for a child her age.

The android glanced up at Casey as she carefully closed the card again and noted that, while she had ceased her crying, she was still obviously troubled. “It really is beautiful, Casey,” he told her and the girl shot him a shy, sidelong glance at the compliment. “I’m sure your mother will love it.”

“She likes birds,” the child stated as her eyes dropped to the front of her card again and the android smiled.

Before he could say anything else, his system sent up a reminder that it was nearly time to start dinner if he wanted to do the marinade he’d been planning on. After a moment’s consideration, he made a slight alteration to his plan, then asked Casey, “Would you like to help me make dinner?”

The girl looked at him a little skeptically. “I dunno,” she said.

Simon sighed dramatically and lamented, “Ah, well, I suppose I’ll simply have to forgo dessert. I’m not sure I can make dinner _and_ pie all by myself.”

Casey’s interest was immediately peaked at the mention of dessert. “What _kind_ of pie?” she asked and Simon flashed her a smile.

“What kind would you like?”

* * *

When David made it home not long after at a reasonable hour for a change, he could tell something was different almost immediately. For one, Casey didn’t practically sprint up to greet him at the door to the garage as she had taken to doing the last week. For another, he could hear her laughing followed by the pleasant, indistinct murmur of Simon’s now familiar voice.

Curious, the police captain slid out of his jacket and hung it on the hook by the door before kicking off his shoes and padding down the carpeted hall, past the bedrooms, and into the front of the house. From the living room, David had a clear line of sight across the dining room and into the kitchen where Simon and Casey appeared to be working on something together.

His daughter spotted him first and broke into a grin he couldn’t help but return. It felt like ages since he’d last seen her smile like that, and his relief was such that he didn’t feel even the slightest bit annoyed when she ran up and threw her arms around his waist, leaving floury hand prints on his shirt in the process.

“Hi daddy!” she said brightly and he ruffled her hair.

“Hey noodle. Making a mess?” he asked as his daughter slid down his leg and proceeded to latch onto it like some sort of limpet.

“No, we’re making pie,” she said and made a face up at him from the vicinity of his knee.

“Ah,” he replied and moved towards the kitchen, grunting exaggeratedly at the weight she added to one of his legs. “Geeze, need to bring you with me to the gym, noodle,” David remarked as he hobbled slightly unsteadily around the dinner table and into the kitchen where Simon was watching them from his station at the stove. Casey just giggled, but released her hold on him once they’d made it to their destination and sprang back to her feet.

“Welcome home, Captain,” the android said with a smile, and it seemed to David that there was something a little more to the look than usual, particularly when he turned to Casey and said, “Time for homework, don’t you think?”

Casey groaned hugely and David was surprised when the girl not only reached out to Simon, but actually hung from his arm in feigned distress. “But _piiiiiie!_ ”

The added weight of the girl barely made the android sway as he regarded her with outright amusement now. “It won’t be ready for some time yet and you can’t have any until after dinner besides,” he pointed out and she groaned again. “Better to finish your homework now while you’re waiting to eat then afterwards when you could be watching television with your father.”

The child made an almost offended noise, then looked at David and whined, “Daaaaad!”

“I don’t know what you’re looking at me for,” he said and put his hands up to ward off the scowl she leveled at him. “What are you going to do, eat half-baked pie?”

Casey tsked at him and finally released her grip on Simon. “Homework’s the worst,” she grumbled and trudged away like a man heading for the gallows.

“Tell me about it,” David remarked with a snort as he watched her go, thinking of the paperwork he’d brought home with him to finish up after she went to bed. When he heard Casey’s bedroom door close with a quiet but pointed snap, the man surreptitiously turned his attention back to Simon.

“You’re staring, Captain,” the android said when David let his gaze linger too long, making the man start. He hadn’t thought Simon had noticed him looking, and when his blue eyes glanced sidelong at him, the corner of his mouth curling up, David’s mouth went dry. “Is there something you need?”

“No,” the man answered immediately, then paused and gave himself a mental shake before asking, “Actually, did something happen with Casey today?” Simon turned to regard him fully and David pressed on. “She seemed...”

He hesitated, and the android finished for him. “More at ease?”

“Yeah,” David said, relieved that he wasn’t imagining the shift after all.

Simon considered him steadily for a moment, and the captain found himself wondering just what the android was thinking. How many calculations could these new models run simultaneously again? It was some ungodly number they never really bothered to teach you in school unless you went into math or the sciences.

So, a lot.

“I promised I wouldn’t tell you,” the android said, answer completely wrong footing David.

“What?” the man said, brown immediately snapping down into a thunderous frown. “Look, this-”

“Is nothing to be concerned with,” Simon finished for him with a gently imploring expression on his pale features that actually made David hesitate. “If you order me to tell you, I will,” he said into the quiet that followed. “But I promise, I would tell you of my own accord if it were something that needed addressing.”

As he stared the android down, suddenly uncertain, David found himself wondering if this was normal in an android. The gentle coaxing, the subtle but potent downturn of the lips communicating volumes of concern that David would force him to break a promise to a child…

“Casey worries about you, I think,” Simon continued quietly when David did not immediately reply. “Or, rather, she doesn’t want to _worry_ you.”

“She’s my daughter, it’s my _job_ to worry about her.”

“I know.”

The quiet returned, strained and tense as Simon waited for David to come to a decision. Eventually, the man heaved a sigh and rubbed his brow absently with one hand then raked his fingers through his hair.

“Fine, but if something serious happens, promise be damned, you tell me, alright?” he instructed the android firmly in a tone that brooked no argument, wondering even then what he was thinking. On the other hand, he was relieved enough to see Casey finally warming up to her new caregiver to not want to look a gift horse in the mouth.

A relieved smile overtook Simon’s features and, once again, David found himself wondering if this was normal. “Of course, Captain,” the android replied. “I would never want something to happen to Casey, particularly not as a result of my own negligence.”

God, he sounded like he really meant it, too.

“Alright, good,” David replied, feeling vaguely awkward. After a moment, he started to leave, intent on changing out of his work clothes, but paused before he made it out of the kitchen. “Hey, Simon?”

“Yes, Captain?”

“You really don’t have to call me ‘Captain’ all the time, you know.”

“Of course, Captain.”


	2. Practice Makes Perfect

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Allen asks about Simon's day for the first time, and Simon learns more about Casey's mother.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Welcome to chapter two! Thanks so much to everyone that left a review on chapter one, you are my favorite people! ;D  
> Make sure to drop a comment letting me know what your favorite part of this chapter is too, I love hearing that from you guys!

“It’s nine o’clock, Casey, time for bed,” Simon said as he peered into the little girl’s room through her open door.

Sprawled out on her stomach facing the foot of her bed with her tablet open to a book in front of her, the child looked up at him with wide, hopeful eyes. “Five more minutes, Simon?” she asked, clasping her hands in front of her as though begging for clemency.

The android had been with the family for nearly two weeks by that point and felt he had a fairly good handle on Casey’s many subtle (and not-so-subtle) methods of getting what she wanted out of the adults in her life, but that didn’t stop him from indulging her in this instance. “Alright,” he replied after a moment, mouth quirking up at one corner as her face lit with a smile. “But only-”

The sound of the main garage door opening brought them both up short in their negotiation. Casey immediately bounced up and out of her bed, collected her tablet, and then rushed past Simon, forcing the android to take a quick step backwards out of her way lest the child bowl him over in her excitement.

“Careful,” he warned her, though he knew his warning fell on deaf ears as the door at the end of the hall opened and David stepped inside.

“Daddy!” Casey exclaimed as she cannoned into him and threw her arms around his waist, forcing the captain to reach behind him and plant a hand on the door before he could topple over backwards.

“Hey, noodle,” he said with a tired laugh as his free hand brushed affectionately over her dark, wavy hair. “Have a good day at school?”

“Yeah,” the little girl said brightly as she turned her face up to look at her father, then released one arm from its death grip around his waist to hold up her tablet and continue, “I got a new book! Will you read it to me?”

“How about you at least let your father get his shoes off first, Casey,” Simon cut in before David could answer, expression amused though gently chiding when the girl looked back at him.

Casey glanced down and saw that her father was, indeed, still wearing his leather work shoes. “Oh fine,” she said with a tremendous sigh as she released David. “But _then_ can you read to me?” she wheedled.

“He might like to eat first too.”

A huff of amusement escaped David as he kicked off his shoes then raised a hand to quiet them both before his daughter could object. “I’ll read to her now,” he said and Casey beamed triumphantly up at him as he bent and grabbed her up, then carried the child back into her bedroom where he tossed her bodily onto the bed.

A peal of laughter escaped Casey as she arced through the air and hit the mattress hard enough to bounce before settling, only to bounce again when David jumped after her, landing on his back at her side. This resulted in yet more giggles of delight while both humans made themselves comfortable; David with his back against the headboard, and Casey tucked up under his arm at his side, bare feet shoved under one of his legs to keep warm.

It was a tender scene, and Simon found himself riveted in the doorway as it played out, plagued once more by an odd sense of warmth as he regarded father and daughter. Before he could become further distracted, however, the android gave himself a mental shake and asked, “Would you like me to warm up something for you to eat once you’re done, Captain?”

David glanced up from where he’d been navigating the book app on his daughter’s tablet and said, “Yeah, that’d be great. Thanks, Simon.”

The android nodded and smiled, then turned and headed back to the kitchen as the now familiar sound of the captain’s voice followed him down the hall, interrupted occasionally by his daughter’s high, piping one.

Several minutes later, Simon was placing David’s carefully prepared plate on the table just as the man finished tucking in his daughter and entered the dining room. He blinked once, then settled himself in his usual spot, remarking, “You’re really getting your timing down on this,” in an off-handed fashion that didn’t seem to expect an answer.

“Well, I was able to access Casey’s tablet to find out which story she wanted, and combined the word count with your average rate of reading to establish a timeline to work from,” Simon explained as he handed David a set of silverware.

The man raised his eyebrows and seemed impressed, which drew a shy smile to the android’s face as he turned away again. “Well,” David said, but didn’t know what else he could possibly add, so turned his attention to his food instead.

He took a bite and a thought occurred to him, but just as he turned to ask, Simon beat him to the punch, “Would you like a glass of wine with dinner?”

“I- uh… yeah, thanks,” David replied, a little wrongfooted as the android smiled at him again and poured a glass from the bottle he’d left in the refrigerator two nights previous. Simon’s every movement, from pulling down a glass to filling it, was precise and graceful, and the captain found he had a difficult time pulling his eyes away, though he managed when the android turned and placed the glass on the table for him.

“Did you need anything else?”

“No,” David replied quickly as he picked up his drink and took a sip. “This is great.”

Pleased at having been able to anticipate the Captain’s needs so readily, Simon nodded then turned to the sink to finish up the dishes he’d put off earlier that evening in favor of helping Casey with her homework when she asked him for assistance with a particularly difficult set of math problems. A peaceful sort of quiet fell over the house as he worked and David ate, both lost in their own thoughts until the captain roused himself to ask, “How was Casey today, did she behave herself?”

Simon glanced back over his shoulder at the man and smiled. “She did. All her homework is done and she even managed to eat some broccoli at dinner.”

“That _is_ good,” David admitted with a laugh as he settled back in his seat, glass of wine in one hand. “If not downright miraculous,” he added as an afterthought before taking a sip.

“She seems to tolerate it better with lemon,” Simon explained as he set the pan he’d been scrubbing aside on the dish rack. The captain made a thoughtful sound at this revelation, and after a moment the android added, “We played ‘SWAT’ after dinner.”

David looked up at the android from where he sat, amused at the mental image that painted. “Yeah? That’s a favorite of hers,” he mused, then arched a brow and asked, “So, how’d you do playing a SWAT captain?”

“Oh, no,” Simon corrected with a smile David was tempted to label as wry. “ _She_ played the brave captain. _I_ was the hostage being held for ransom by two barbie dolls, a stuffed cat, and a six inch tall Captain America action figure,” the android clarified and David nearly choked on a mouthful of wine. Torn between laughing and coughing, the captain put down his glass and covered his mouth to keep from making a mess as Simon continued blithely on, “Casey did a wonderful job breaching the door, you’d be very proud of her, I think.”

When he was finally able to breathe again, David nodded weakly and managed to say, “I bet. She was taught by the best, after all.”

Well, more or less. He hadn’t _really_ taught her to breach a door, the last thing David needed was his seven year old to go around actually kicking her way into whatever rooms she pleased. Or trying to. Even with proper technique she was on the small side to manage it yet. Give it a few years though…

David glanced surreptitiously at Simon’s back as he worked, and a strange thought occurred to the man. A question he hadn’t ever thought to actually ask before.

“How was _your_ day?”

The android paused, then turned half-way to look at him, blue eyes wide with surprise at the question. His expression stung David for some reason, made him feel guilty for never having asked before in the two weeks Simon had been with them. On the one hand, he was an _android_ and David was fairly sure most people didn’t ask how their android’s day had been while they were out. On the other, though, this same android took care of his daughter day in and day out while _he_ was at work; helped her with her homework, made her dinner, played with her…

Glorified appliance or not, something in David balked at treating the android as such. How could you be cold to something that smiled the way Simon did? To some _one_ that cared enough for his daughter to keep her secrets; someone that could look so surprised at being asked how their day had been.

He knew it was likely all down to incredibly advanced programming on CyberLife’s part but… damn if Simon didn’t _act_ like a person.

“I-” the android hesitated, seeming to search for an answer for a moment before finally saying, “It was very productive.”

David nodded, unsure of what else he had expected but an extremely android-like answer from his android.

However, Simon surprised him by breaking into the widest smile the captain had seen on him yet as he added, “And _fun_.”

“Fun?” he parroted, unable to resist the urge, gaze riveted on the android’s face as he nodded, expression turning a little shy as he dropped his eyes.

“Yes,” Simon said, then, to cover his own awkwardness, turned around fully again and offered to take David’s empty plate. “Are you done?”

The captain blinked at the sudden turn in conversation, then glanced down at the dish in question and nodded, “Uh, yeah-” and before he could say more, it was plucked up by the android and placed in the sink to be washed as well.

Not that he was sure what else _to_ say. Something he seemed to feel with uncommon frequency when he was around Simon for some reason. Maybe because he’d never spent much time around androids beyond the standard patrol units at the precinct. _Those_ certainly never left him feeling guilty for not asking how they were doing on any given day of the week. They simply took orders and went about their business. Then again, Simon was clearly more advanced than them, programmed to act even more human for the sake of integrating with a family unit, so maybe that’s what it was…

Realizing that he was simply putting off the work he’d brought home with him at this point, David finished off his glass of wine with a soft sigh and got to his feet. When he did, Simon turned and collected that as well, and before the captain left the room for his office down the hall, he said, “Thanks for dinner, Simon.”

The android gave him a small smile as he cradled the glass between his hands and said, “Of course, Captain.”

* * *

Paperwork always felt like something of a sisyphean task to David, but after dinner things seemed to drag even more than usual. When Simon poked his head into his office around midnight to tell him he was shutting down for the evening, the captain felt like he hadn't accomplished anything at all.

“Was there anything else you needed?” the android asked helpfully as David leaned back in his seat and rubbed absently at his eyes with a hand.

“No,” the man replied, then thought better of it as something occurred to him. “Actually, never mind; I just remembered something.”

David grimaced as he spoke, inspiring a curious quirk of an eyebrow from Simon in lieu of an question.

“Mother's day is in a few days,” David elaborated with a small frown as he rotated his chair so he could fully face the android before continuing, “Jenny, Casey's mom,” he clarified, “is going to be coming over for the day. It's part of her agreed upon visitation rights.”

Simon watched David closely as he spoke, though he hardly needed to; the fact that the man wasn't looking forward to the day was clear not only in his face, but his body language as well. After what little he'd learned from Casey the day she'd come home from school crying, Simon knew that Jenny's relationship with her ex-husband and daughter was complicated, but why exactly was something that remained an unknown.

The android weighed his options for a moment, then finally asked, “If it's not to intrusive, may I ask why it is you and your ex-wife are divorced?” David looked at him sharply, and Simon knew that _yes,_ it _was_ too intrusive, but the android persisted anyways, driven by a need to better understand the family's situation so he could best anticipate their needs. “I only ask because the other day, when Casey asked me not to tell you what had been troubling her...”

Simon's words petered off and the hint of steel in David's green eyes faded at the mention of his daughter. So that's what the trouble had been about; some of the kids at school must have been teasing her again.

The android, still standing pensively in the doorway waiting for some response from him, shifted slightly, drawing the captain's attention once more. David regarded him thoughtfully for a moment, so long used to people being nosy for the sake of being nosy that it hadn't occurred to him that Simon might have an entirely practical reason for wanting to know their family history.

“Yeah,” he relented eventually with a tired sigh as he absently pinched the bridge of his nose. “Yeah, you should probably know since she's going to be over here. No point throwing you in the deep end,” he remarked, mostly to himself.

A surge of relief washed through Simon at his words, but he said nothing for fear of making the man change his mind as the captain stared distractedly at the floor, choosing his words carefully.

“Jenny's an alcoholic,” David said eventually, eyes not quite meeting Simon's. “We didn't date long before I proposed,” he admitted dully, “and she got pregnant with Casey almost immediately after that. She knew better than to drink then, or was able to resist the temptation, I guess, but after-” he shrugged.

God he'd been an idiot. It was something he thought every time the subject Jenny came up. He should have known better than to propose so soon, should have dated longer to be sure they were really a good match, but he'd been so damn head over heels for her he'd decided to jump without looking for just _once_ in his carefully planned and executed life...

If not for the fact that he'd gotten Casey out of the bargain, he'd call it the worst mistake he’d ever made. As it was, it was a dark, bitter patch in his history rife with bad memories and ruinous fights that had earned David a battered heart he wasn't ever sure would fully recover.

It’d also given him a priceless gift.

Looking back on it now, even knowing full well what he'd have to go through, the man would willingly do it all again for the sake of bringing Casey into the world.

“Took me longer than I like to admit to realize just how bad her problem was,” David explained to Simon and the android's eyes held no judgment, which made continuing easier. “Anyways, she couldn't commit to rehab and I couldn't risk her putting Casey in danger anymore, so we got a divorce,” he finished flatly.

_Anymore_. The word was rife with meaning that could be interpreted so many ways, though Simon had know way to know which might be correct. Had the captain simply feared his ex would eventually do something to risk their daughter, or had she already done so when he decided to end things?

Whatever the case, the android couldn't justify asking, not when it made little material difference to the outcome as it pertained to him and his duties to David and Casey.

Instead, Simon simply said, “Thank you, Captain, for sharing that with me. That makes things easier.” David was watching him closely, though what he might be looking for was something the android couldn't begin to guess at. “Should I plan to make dinner for her?” he asked and the man blinked at the question.

“Might as well,” David answered after a moment's consideration. “Jenny never was much of a cook. She likes pasta, though,” he suggested.

Simon nodded and made note of the fact. “I'll plan accordingly, then.” He paused for a long moment as the silence hung between them, then asked, “Are you sure there's nothing I can get you before I shut down for the night?” in a low, solicitous tone. Simon wasn't used to seeing the Captain out of sorts emotionally the way he’d been since he'd asked him about his ex-wife, and he felt a _need_ to do something for him; to relieve his discomfort somehow.

“I...” David hesitated, then shook his head as he absently raked his fingers through the fall of his dark hair, a wry, tired huff escaping him. “No, thanks. I should just finish up here so I can go to bed.”

Unnoticed by the captain, a small frown tugged at the android’s mouth, but quickly vanished as he nodded and said, “Alright.” He wavered in the doorway for an uncertain moment, causing David to glance at him again, which inspired Simon to continue, “I’ll be in the living room if you need me.”

The frown lines on David’s face eased some and a small smile pulled at his lips. “Thanks, Simon.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks so much for reading! Next time will be mother's day ;)  
> Make sure to drop a comment and let me know what your favorite part was, I love hearing that from you guys!

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks so much for reading you guys, hope you enjoyed! I've got all sorts of fun stuff planned for this story, so stay tuned!  
> Follow me [on tumblr](https://joliemariella.tumblr.com/) for DBH fanart and sneak peeks at my stories!  
> Also, remember to drop a review letting me know what your favorite part was, I really love hearing that from you guys!


End file.
